Come see us present at one of two upcoming conferences during the next few weeks. FETC2016 will be held in Orlando in the middle of this month, and Curriki is presenting on standards-aligned math courses during the afternoon of the 14th of January. And on February 1st, we are presenting on OER for STEM at the TCEA 2016 conference to be held in Austin this year, Feb. 1-5.

FETC agenda

Curated, Standards-Aligned Courses for the High School Math Teacher (CS099)

Thursday, January 14, 2016, 3:20-4:00 p.m. – OCCC – South 330 B

Focus Area: Instructional Design

Topic Area: Online and Blended Learning

Curriculum Area: Mathematics

Audience: Educators

Level: High School (9-12)

Description:

Curriki is a nonprofit K-12 global community for teachers, students, and parents to create, share, and find free learning resources that enable true personalized learning. This year, Curriki mounted a project of curating entire courses in the high school math curriculum aligned to the CCSS-M, including: Pre-algebra, Algebra 1 and Geometry. You will learn to enhance your effectiveness in and out of the classroom through the use of Curriki Curated Courses. You’ll see how HS Math teachers can integrate these resources to promote high academic performance for their students. .

Skill Level: Intermediate

Presenters:

Allen Wolmer

Principal Consultant, Technology Based Educational Support

Al Wolmer consults in the area of using technology to enhance and support high school math teachers. A SMART Certified Trainer for Notebook and Math Tools, Mr. Wolmer recently retired as Head of the Math Department at Atlanta Jewish Academy. In addition, he is an AP Calculus Reader for the College Board and an AP Calculus Consultant for the National Math & Science Initiative. Mr. Wolmer also works with numerous clients in the field of online publishing in math education, including texts, assessments, and online courses.

Janet Pinto

Chief Academic Officer, Curriki

Janet Pinto is the Chief Academic Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Curriki a nonprofit K-12 global community for teachers, students, and parents to create, share, and find free learning resources that enable true personalized learning.

If you’re an educational technology enthusiast, we hope you’re planning to attend the TCEA 2016 conference in Austin this year, Feb. 1-5. This conference brings educators together to explore best practices for engaging students, increasing productivity, and innovating teaching and learning through the use of technology.

TCEA Agenda

Please stop by our session on Monday morning, Feb. 1 (10:00am – 10:50am), which is part of the STEM Academy track.

The two most powerful forces that have transformed the education world in recent decades have been the emphasis on STEM education and the Open Educational Resources (OER) revolution. These two innovations have permeated the education community and are shepherding in a digital age that is today transforming education in every corner of life. In this session, you will hear what Curriki.org is doing to drive the development of OERs for STEM educators and the many ways you can lead the way in your own schools and communities.

In a press release announcing the report, the OECD noted “that even countries which have invested heavily in information and communication technologies (ICT) for education have seen no noticeable improvement in their performance in PISA results for reading, mathematics or science”. About 72% of 15-year old students reported using a computer at school in 2012, although 96% of the students in OECD countries have a computer at home.

Increasingly reading is becoming a digital experience. Reading performance is also connected to web-browsing behavior. Are the right links being clicked in order to get to the desired information as efficiently as possible? Are students getting lost in Cyberspace?

“Why are students in some countries/economies – notably Australia, Canada, Hong Kong-China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and the United States, among others – far better at reading digital texts than students in other countries/economies who score similarly in the print reading test? Because, as the OECD finds, they know how to navigate their way through and across digital texts.”

You can examine the study’s results by country in the table here. It provides a tabulation of PISA math performance by country in comparison with student in-school computer usage, digital reading skills, and Internet usage outside of school.

The report’s essential conclusion is that “all students first need to be equippedwith basic literacy and numeracy skills”.

“School systems need to find more effective ways to integrate | technology into teaching and learning to provide educators with learning environments that support 21st century pedagogies and provide children with the 21st century skills they need to succeed in tomorrow’s world,” said Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills. “Technology is the only way to dramatically expand access to knowledge. To deliver on the promises technology holds, countries need to invest more effectively and ensure that teachers are at the forefront of designing and implementing this change.”

Curriki would add that students need to learn how to use technology not simply as consumers (e.g. learning exercises, drills and test-taking) but as producers as well. Students should be learning how to program and develop applications, and learning how to use computer technology for creative purposes, whether in the arts, the sciences, or social sciences. Students who are able to employ technology in a productive manner will be more fulfilled and better prepared to contribute to our 21st century world.

The site TeachStation has resources about the International Space Station and STEM activities on the ISS. Included are student projects and a series of videos demonstrating STEM concepts for students in the middle grades and high school. Concepts covered include Newton’s laws, microgravity, and surface tension. TeachStation is at this link:

At Curriki, we believe that math does not have to be boring. One institution that shares this belief and brings it to life is the National Museum of Mathematics (a.k.a. MoMath) in Manhattan, New York City. It is the only museum in the U.S. devoted purely to math.

Science News said the museum is “the antidote to math phobia”. MoMath stresses interactive exhibits so that one can gain an understanding of math concepts by doing and exploring.

According to the MoMath website:

The National Museum of Mathematics strives to enhance public understanding and perception of mathematics. Its dynamic exhibits and programs will stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity, and reveal the wonders of mathematics. The Museum’s activities will lead a broad and diverse audience to understand the evolving, creative, human, and aesthetic nature of mathematics.

The museum was established at the end of 2012 to promote the understanding and importance of mathematics, and to present math concepts in a fun and engaging way. A particular focus is placed on kids in the middle grades (4th grade through 8th grade) but there are attractions for kids of all ages and adults as well.

In addition, there are a large number of lecture videos on various math topics available at the MoMath web site and on YouTube as well, go to http://momath.org/gallery/ to access these.

The museum’s approach is compatible with the principles behind project-based learning. Curriki has developed two mathematics courses built around the project-based learning methodology. These are for Algebra and Geometry and can be accessed here: